Baby It's Cold Outside
by Orwell is watching-xoxo
Summary: Nicknames 'verse: It's Christmastime at the Monroe Republic. Mandy finally discovers Danny and she confronts Bass. Will his charm win him this round, or will the girl get the upper hand? Post 1x07.


**Two fics in one day? I must be going crazy. Anyways, now that Danny's in Philly, I'm wondering the lengths Bass would go to keep Mandy from seeing him. This is my take on it. I'd say this is post 1x07, but around Christmastime. **

**I own nothing, obviously. **

_**Baby It's Cold Outside**_

Mandy remembered Christmas before the Blackout rather well. She was sixteen when the power went out. Now fifteen years later, she wasn't so sure _what_ Christmas meant anymore. Living with her boyfriend for the past two years, she knew that she was making it out better than most people. The fact that they had hot water was a miracle. And, although the luxuries were suspicious, the brunette wasn't going to be one to question it. She had far too much to be worrying about, otherwise.

When Christmas came around this year, she didn't expect anything different. Mandy and Bass would sit by the warm fire, mostly because it was much too cold to be away from it. There were never any real gift exchanges, but the president of the Republic swore that he'd make it up to her one day. One day he'd make it up to her by dropping down on one knee, asking for her hand in marriage. Not under these circumstances, though. He wanted their marriage to be a celebration, not just another hair-brain event in the post-apocalyptic world.

Since Danny had been taken to Philadelphia, Mandy still hadn't seen him. She hadn't the slightest idea of how he was being treated, but a part of her just wanted to remain oblivious to the fact. She loved her Sebastian and she hated when they fought. There were just some things that they could never agree on. But, really, was she supposed to let her boyfriend torture some kid to death, just so his _mother_ would cooperate?

The brunette had made so many sacrifices in this relationship. But she wasn't quite prepared for what was in store next.

o-o-o

Mandy folded her arms across her chest as she made her rounds through Independence Hall. It was Christmas Eve and her boyfriend was off doing general-y things. So, of course, she was bored out of her mind. As the brunette padded down the hallway, she came up on Major Neville. He was one of her boyfriend's old friends, so of course she would stop to talk to him.

"Hello, Tom," she smiled at him, her eyebrows quirking up as he stared in front of her. If Sebby was trying to sneak up on her, she would punch him in the head.

Neville sent the young woman a tight smile. "Hello, Miss Cooper. Merry Christmas Eve," he added, giving her a curt nod.

"Merry Christmas Eve to you, too. Have you seen Sebastian around?" Mandy asked, looking over her shoulder to make sure that he really _wasn't_ behind her. What she saw, however, was none other than Danny Matheson.

"I believe he was just heading back to his office, if you were looking for him," Tom hurriedly replied, "now if you'll excuse me, Miss Cooper."

By that time, though, his haste came a little too late. Danny was heading over to Neville, his eyes wary as he watched Mandy. The older man had to resist the urge to groan. Wasn't he supposed to be visiting with Rachel?

"I um… I didn't want to stay with my mom, so-so they threw me into your office. And when you weren't there, I decided to _comefindyou_," Danny replied, his voice getting quieter and quieter towards the end.

"Right," Tom cleared his throat awkwardly as he patted the boy's back. It wouldn't be nearly so bad, seeing how Mandy wasn't supposed to know about Danny. And seeing how she found him on his watch, Monroe would be sure to have the major's head.

"I'll be sure to let Monroe know that you were looking for him, unless you get to him first," he added, smiling tightly once more as he hurried away with Danny in tow.

Not even five minutes after that, Bass came padding through the hallway. He almost walked right past his girlfriend. When he caught her from the corner of his eye, he began to grin widely. "Mandy!" He ducked his head to kiss her, which she reciprocated with a smile.

"Hi. I've been looking all over for you," the brunette let him take her into his arms as they began a few more kisses.

"Well I'm here now. What say we had back to the room? Got something to take care of, but maybe you can distract me for a little while, since it _is _Christmas," Bass whispered down at her. His girlfriend chuckled warmly and tapped his lips with a single finger.

"Not so fast, buddy," she added, her tone growing milder, "who is that boy that Tom's taking care of? I don't think I've ever seen him around before."

"He's no one, beautiful," the general began, stroking his girlfriend's cheek as he stared down at her intently.

"Oh really? Then why was he so quick to drag him away from me?" Mandy asked, trying to ignore the fact that they were getting closer and closer to the wall.

"Who knows, darling? Maybe he wanted to get his work done early so that he had more time to spend with his wife," Bass gave her a few more kisses, "did I mention how beautiful you look tonight? Winter does you well."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sebastian," the brunette smirked, "and neither will fondling my behind."

The president of the Republic pouted before his girlfriend. "But I like fondling your behind. It's very nice and firm." He smacked it playfully and sent her a boyish grin.

"Mhm. Well, you can have my behind if you tell me what I want to know," Mandy sent him a triumphant grin. Bass pressed her against him tightly, inhaling the scent of roses that was still fresh on her skin from their bath earlier that evening.

"He really isn't someone you should be concerned with, babe," Monroe whispered into her ear, sucking on the earlobe closest to him.

The brunette shivered in response. "Believe me; if he concerns you, then he concerns me. Plus," her body began to writhe beneath him once more as he began to kiss her jaw line, "he looked awful beat-up. And unless you've got a children's work camp somewhere around here, I'll bet I already know who he is."

"Have I mentioned that smart chicks are really hot?" Bass asked, moving upward to capture her lips in a fiery kiss. He took an arm from around her waist and pinned her against the wall, their eyes locking immediately as their lips disconnected.

"Have I mentioned that you haven't answered my question?" she teased, licking her puffy lips in anticipation. As her lips partially parted, her boyfriend took that as an opportunity to continue their kiss. His tongue slid into her mouth, claiming anything and everything in its wake.

"No more talking. Private room. Now," Monroe groaned inwardly against her lips.

A teasing smirk crawled onto her face as she grabbed the bulge in Bass' pants. "Not quite yet. If you don't tell me now, I will purposely make you have to take a cold bath. And I'll laugh about it."

No one else would ever get away with something like that. But Mandy had tamed a saner side of Monroe, one who didn't think twice about trying to fight his darker side from coming out.

"Alright-" his breath hitched in his chest as she began to press herself closer against him, "that boy is Danny Matheson- Rachel's son. And he's with Neville because he's the only one that I trust with the kid. Practically the only one that gives a damn about him too."

"But why torture him just to get answers?" Mandy pressed her forehead against his as he gave her a _really_ sort of look.

"Because you have to hit somewhere where they're weakest. With Rachel, that's her family. She clams up, so Strausser does worse every time she refuses to talk," Bass replied, letting the southern drawl in his voice grow thicker at the throbbing in his pants. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but what other choice do we have?"

The brunette sighed and took hold of her boyfriend's hand this time around, smiling at the relief on his face. "Sebastian, we may not ever see eye to eye about what's right and what's wrong, but I want to be able to talk to you about this. I love you so damn much and I have ever since that night you took me out on our one-year anniversary."

"I just don't want you to worry. I'm trying to get these lights back on, but it's so hard to juggle all of this at once," Bass relaxed against his girlfriend as she began to kiss him slowly.

"That's why you've got me. You unload on me; that way you'll feel better 'cause it's not bottled up, and I'll feel better that my companion is confiding in me," Mandy breathed against his lips before kissing him again.

"I love you," he murmured, scooping her up into his arms. "And Merry Christmas Eve, by the way," the general nudged towards the ceiling. When his girlfriend looked up, she noticed that a single mistletoe had been hanging there the whole time.

They started kissing once more and it was a wonder just how they got to their room with each other's tongues shoved down their throats.

**To be honest, I had planned on making this funny and fluffy. But it turned out the muses just weren't up for fluffy tonight. You all know what to do. **


End file.
